Treatment of Hypogonadism with Bioidentical Hormones

Testosterone replacement therapy utilizes bioidentical hormones to fight the underlying cause of hypogonadism. The treatment creates an environment in the body that allows testosterone to be made naturally or be supplemented.

With this BHRT treatment, it should be known that an outward change is just as important as the inward change. Therefore diet, exercise, lifestyle, and stress management all need to be adjusted for the treatment to take its full effect on the patient.

Symptoms of Hypogonadism

The similarities of these symptoms with those of andropause can cause patients to misdiagnose themselves as suffering from andropause.

Primary vs. Secondary Hypogonadism

There are two basic types of hypogonadism:

Primary Hypogonadism: Also known as primary testicular failure, the condition originates from a problem in the testicles.

Secondary Hypogonadism: Indicates a problem in the hypothalamus or the pituitary gland which are responsible for signaling the testicles to produce testosterone.

Causes of Primary Hypogonadism

Most common causes of primary hypogonadism include:

Aging: Roughly from the age of 35, a man's testosterone level begins to gradually decrease.

Klinefelter Syndrome: A condition caused by an extra Y chromosome being present in a male patients DNA.

Testicle displacement: When a man's testicle or testicles do not descend into the scrotum it can lead to permanent damage.

Chemotherapy: Used for patients who have had cancer treatment.

Causes of Secondary Hypogonadism

Kallmans Syndrome: The hypothalamus gland is abnormally developed or under-developed.

Pituitary disorders: Presence of tumors found either in or near the pituitary gland.

Inflammatory disease: sarcoidosis, histiocytosis, and tuberculosis are inflammatory diseases that affect the hypothalamus and pituitary gland.

Medications: The use of particular medications can affect testosterone production.

Stress: The abundance of stress will decrease the body's ability to produce testosterone. The hypothalamus is greatly affected due to its lack of signaling ability to the testes. A high demand for cortisol, a stress hormone, can lead to lower testosterone production.

Obesity: The weight of a patient is detrimental in maintaining endocrine function. The more weight a male patient accumulates, the more confused the body becomes. Excess body fat coverts testosterone into estrogen which lowers testosterone production.